Country Meatloaf

Ingredients:

•2 tablespoons butter or margarine
•8 ounces sliced mushrooms
•1 cup chopped onion
•1 cup thinly sliced celery
•3/4 shredded carrots
•2 tablespoons water
•2 pounds ground round
•1/2 cup flour
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
•1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or thyme
•1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
•2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preparation:

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add mushrooms, onion, celery, carrots, and water. Heat to boiling; cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender-crisp.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, flour, seasoned salt, tarragon, thyme, soy sauce, and the cooked vegetables. Mix gently and shape into a loaf on a greased, shallow baking pan (with sides). Bade at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes, or until loaf is crusty and browned.
Meatloaf serves about 8.
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Seven Layer Casserole with Ground Beef

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

•1 cup uncooked rice, washed and drained
•1 cup whole kernel corn, drained
•dash salt and pepper
•1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
•3/4 to 1 pound extra lean ground beef, uncooked and broken up
•dash salt and pepper
•1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
•4 strips bacon, cut in half
•shredded cheese, if desired for topping

Preparation:

Place ingredients in a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole in order given. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes longer, until bacon is crisp. If desired, top with shredded cheese the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Seven layer casserole serves 4.
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Beef and Cabbage Casserole

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:•1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
•1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon garlic powder
•1 head cabbage, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
•3/4 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Directions for cabbage casserole with ground beef
In large skillet, cook ground beef, chopped onion, and chopped green pepper until meat is no longer pink; drain off fat. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and garlic powder. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Cut cabbage into 6 wedges. Cook cabbage in a small amount of boiling salted water, covered, for about 10 minutes and drain well. Arrange cabbage wedges in a lightly buttered 9-inch square baking dish. Pour ground beef mixture over and around the cabbage wedges. Bake cabbage casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over cabbage casserole and bake about 5 minutes longer.
Ground beef and cabbage casserole serves 6.

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

Ingredients
2 packages garlic-ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
Ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk, plus 1 cup
1 pound cubed steak, cut into 4 pieces
Oil, for frying
1 cup chicken broth
1 (2.64-ounce) package gravy mix
Mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions

Combine 1 package salad dressing mix, flour, and pepper, to taste, in a large plastic bag. Set aside. Combine another package salad dressing mix, egg, and 2 cups buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Soak steaks in buttermilk mixture. Remove 1 steak and toss in flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and dip again in the buttermilk mixture. Return to flour mixture and toss. Repeat process for remaining steaks.

Heat 1/2-inch layer of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Place 2 steaks in the pan at a time. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To make the gravy, combine 1 cup buttermilk, chicken broth, and gravy package in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and stir well. Top steaks with gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, if desired.
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Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
1 whole store-bought roast chicken (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 container (7 ounces) chopped onions
6 cans (14 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 container (14 ounces) pre-cut carrot sticks, chopped
1 container (14 ounces) pre-cut celery sticks, chopped
1 roll (16.3 ounces) golden buttermilk biscuit dough
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed chicken gravy

Directions

Remove skin from chicken and shred meat into large pieces. Set aside.

In a small frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chopped onions and saute until soft.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, add broth, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, carrots, celery, and sauteed onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes to soften vegetables, and then add shredded chicken. Continue to simmer while making dumplings.

While stew is simmering, prepare dumplings. Open can and remove biscuits. On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit to 1/4-inch thick. With a knife, cut each biscuit into 4 pie-pieces. Set aside.

Skim surface for any scum that has risen to top. Stir in chicken gravy.

With the stew still simmering over low heat, stir in dumplings a few at a time. Once all dumplings are in to pot, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot.
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BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound chicken tenders
2/3 cup barbecue sauce (recommended: Bullseye Original)
Flour, for dusting surface
1 (13.8-ounce) package pizza dough (recommended: Pillsbury Classic)
3/4 cup shredded Gouda
1 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders and saute until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice chicken to yield a little over 1 cup. In a small bowl, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out dough and place on a greased sheet pan. Shape to fill the sheet pan, about a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread remaining barbecue sauce evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle Gouda, mozzarella, Parmesan, onions, and chicken over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cut into pieces.

MOJITO CHICKEN

Ingredients

1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chicken
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Marinade, recipe follows
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Mojito Glaze, recipe follows

Directions
Remove backbone of chicken with poultry shears; flatten chicken out by pressing firmly on skin part of chicken so it will sit evenly in a pan.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine all the dry spices and rub chicken with spice mixture, especially under the skin. Put into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade, then add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess marinade. In a large saute pan over medium to high heat, add 4 tablespoons of extra- virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, place chicken skin side down and sear.

When skin is golden brown flip chicken and add 1/2 cup of marinade into pan; place pan in oven and cook the chicken for 25 minutes or until chicken has internal temperature of 165 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the chicken from oven and brush with Mojito Glaze. Place chicken under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from broiler, cut and serve immediately with more glaze on the side.

Marinade:

1 cup orange juice
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
1/4 cup dark rum
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.

Mojito Glaze:

1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In medium sauce pot, place rum, chicken broth and brown sugar. Reduce by 1/3 over high heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. When rum mixture is reduced, add cornstarch mixture slowly to simmering liquid and whisk for 3 minutes, until 50 percent thicker. Keep in mind that you might not need all of it. When glaze is at desired thickness, add mint leaves and transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.